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Tis the Season for Union-Made Holiday Gifts and Treats

December 10, 2014

The American consumer not only votes at the ballot box, but votes nearly every day with his or her wallet. In other words, like voting, how and where we spend our money can have a significant influence over our society and economy.

When we shop union we are supporting the retention and creation of decent paying middle class jobs for our friends, family, and neighbors. When we shop local, we help the small mom and pop shops compete with larger box stores. When we buy American made goods, we help ensure that U.S. manufacturing jobs, a major driver of economic growth, are not shipped overseas. To put it another way, if every American shopper spent just $64 on American made goods this year, the result would be the creation of 200,000 new jobs in our country.

Choosing where not to shop is another powerful decision we make with our wallet. We therefore urge all workers and their families to avoid businesses like Walmart that undermine worker health and safety, manipulate employee hours to deny them health coverage, and pay so little that their employees must rely on food stamps. These greedy companies do not just hurt their own workers, but also perpetuate a race to the bottom for wages and working conditions globally.

As a labor and consumer movement, we have the power to fight back and support the jobs and businesses that can revitalize our economy and rebuild the middle class. Whether it’s the holidays or not, let’s make sure that when we spend our hard earned dollars, they go to support workplace justice, fair wages, and union jobs.